The present invention relates to rotation angle sensors.
Rotation angle sensors, especially for throttle adjustment devices, are known. These sensors have at least a stator unit having at least two stator part elements that are arranged relative to each other, leaving a spacer recess in which at least one Hall sensor is positioned, a rotor unit with at least one magnetic element movable relative to the stator unit, a plug unit and a housing unit, in which at least the stator is at least partially housed.
A rotation angle sensor for a throttle adjustment device of the type just mentioned is known from WO 9 514 911 A1. A throttle is arranged to rotate with a throttle shaft in a closed throttle housing. The rotation angle sensor is connected to the throttle shaft and consists of a stationary and a rotating unit. A Hall element is arranged between two stator part elements of the stationary unit. The rotating unit has an annular magnet that can be moved around the stator element.
The rotation angle sensor is arranged here in a housing recess and is mounted separately from the outside on the throttle housing. If a motor unit and gear unit are used as drive unit, these are accommodated, together with the rotation angle sensor and a circuit unit, simply in an actuator housing. The actuator housing is then also plugged in. In both cases, it is visible from the exterior that the throttle housing is equipped with additional parts.
DE 199 03 490 A1 modifies the rotation angle sensor, so that both the stationary and rotating unit are accommodated in a cover element. The cover element can also accept a gear mechanism of the throttle adjustment unit. The housing of the throttle adjustment unit can be closed by means of the cover element so equipped.
The magnetic element and the stator part elements are designed segmented in DE 299 09 201 U1 and DE 299 08 409 U1. It is proposed for better positioning of these segments to mold the stator segments either into a cover element or housing element and to form at least the magnetic segment in the gear of a gear mechanism, in which it is not stated how this molding is to occur. A rotation angle sensor, in which the stator elements and magnetic element are designed as partial annular segments, is known from WO 98 55 828 A1 (FR 27 64 372 A1).
The material expense for these parts is certainly reduced because of this, but the manufacturing and assembly expense are still too high.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,277 to embed a ring having a number of teeth in a plastic element. However, embedding is only carried out to seal off the rotor of a coder. These and other drawbacks are known in the prior art.
Another device of the type mentioned above is known from DE 196 30 764 A1, where said device consists of a partial stator element that stretches across 240xc2x0 and an additional partial stator element that stretches across 120xc2x0. Two radially oriented openings are located between the two partial stator elements. A Hall unit is located in one of the openings. A movable magnet element is located in the partial stator elements. The disadvantage of the radially oriented openings is that the manufacturing process is very elaborate. In addition, the polarity of the magnet elements does not permit a full utilization of the angle magnification.
Additionally rotation angle sensors are known to the applicant from WO 98 25 102 A1, DE 197 16 985 A1, DE 199 03 940 A1 or EP 1 024 267 A2.
In an example embodiment, a rotation angle sensor for use in a throttle adjustment device includes a stator unit having at least two stator part elements positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; a Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit having a magnetic element having a connector element molded into the rotor unit; a plug unit; and a housing unit adapted to partially house the stator unit.
In another embodiment, the rotation angle sensor may include a stator unit having at least two stator part elements each having a connector element, positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; at least one Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit with at least one annular magnetic part element; a plug unit at least partially house the stator unit, wherein at least the connector element of the stator part elements and the stamped lead assembly are at least partially molded into the housing element.
In yet another embodiment, a rotation angle sensor as discussed above may include a housing unit in which at least the stator unit is at least partially houses, and the annular magnetic part element has a connector element positioned with the magnetic segment in said rotor unit. In a further embodiment, a rotation angle sensor for use in a throttle adjustment device may include a stator unit having at least two stator part elements positioned relative to each other leaving a spacer recess therebetween; a Hall sensor positioned in the spacer recess; a rotor unit having at east one annular magnetic part element, and movable relative to said stator unit, wherein the magnetic part element has at least one magnetic segment with at least one flux conductor sheet thereon; a plug unit; and a housing unit in which at least the stator unit is at least partially housed.
In another embodiment, a rotation angle sensor with a rotor unit having at least one annular magnetic part element having at least one magnetic segment having a connector element, in which the magnetic part element is molded at least with the connector element into the rotor unit. Furthermore, connector elements of the stator part elements and a stamped lead assembly are at least partially molded into the housing.
In another embodiment, a rotation angle sensor includes a rotor unit having an annular magnetic part element having at least one magnetic segment with at least one flux conductor sheet located thereon, in which the magnetic segment and the flux conductor sheet are molded at least partially into the rotor unit.
In another embodiment of the invention, the asymmetric partial stator elements are partial rings, in a ratio of 2/3 to 1/3, divided along a straight line. The partial stator elements surround the rotor unit, which comprises a magnet element and a magnetic support unit. The magnet element has two bi-polar partial magnet segments, mounted on the magnetic support element. This embodiment can be manufactured easily and utilizes a maximum possible angle magnification.
The advantages accomplished with this embodiment of the invention consist primarily in that the two partial stator elements can be manufactured more easily due to the horizontally designed spacing openings. Furthermore, through the tangential arrangement of the spacing openings, the angle magnification up to 120xc2x0 is fully utilized and is, therefore, available for measurements. Both spacing openings can be arranged in one plane or offset at essential reference-cylindrical partial stator elements.
For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.